[Tusjecht]

Unrelated note: Gold, you may want to merge your posts. A suggestion.

Originally Posted by Shiyumi

But that's no fun, so here I go 'again'
For black we have two sample avatars, their shapes are so peculiar like they want to reject the world at much as they can. For Vise, it was evident when Crow fought against his IS "It was «isolation». An absolute detachment that couldn’t consider the state of people’s hearts at all.". For Lotus, she clearly isolate type and have trouble to make friend or intimated interact with other people.
For white we have Ivory Tower. His his voice, his action is like a salary man that do his works like a robot and his skill is complete conceal his present. For White Cosmos, I call describe her as 'brilliant vanity' because from what we know about her, she seem resemble the characters from other stories I read.

Since you really want to discuss B&W, I'll say this: Lotus is definitely the epitome of "rejecting all other." Four sword limbs that cannot be touched without losing your fingers and a couple of limbs, pure black that refuses to be dyed any colour, it's safe to say that from this alone, Black represents "isolationism."

I tend to regard Vise with less credibility, however. Not only am I inclined to believe he found a way to change his colour (and possibly fake another avatar's shape), his avatar doesn't support the idea of "isolationism." Shiyumi, simply quoting the state of Vise' mind when using IS does not necessarily mean that is equal to his nature! Counter-example: Crow activates Laser Sword by thinking "I can be fast," but his nature is to fly away from everything!

Your point on Cosmos is really weak, I'm sorry. That she 'resembles' characters from other stories you've read only means you're assuming a certain stereotype about her, and that itself is not a valid hypothesis in my book. I'd give the author the benefit of doubt first that he has a solid backstory for Cosmos and not a cookie-cutter villain formulae.

I don't even know where to begin on Tower, because he's a reference; Ivory Tower and Black Vise are cards from Magic: The Gathering! Saying he's businesslike is one thing, I'm sure I'd behave formally too if I was at a gathering of Kings more than able to kill me for a single slip of the tongue. We have too little information about White avatars to properly speculate, really. And you're speculating heavily based on a single ability name: Under Cover. That itself undermines the credibility of the hypothesis.

No, I will not accept Cosmos from the PSP game. An interview (LN thread IIRC) confirmed that wasn't the original design, but author might just accept it.

Originally Posted by Shiyumi

tusjecht, Flight is a Limit not Special Skill. The differences between them were Limit can be learn through battle and have no need for voice command(the same for Normal Skill). Crow learn Flight in battle and the condition probably was 'a powerful desire for the sky'. But that was a very special situation that push him over his limit. If he just dueled normally, he will only learn it when he level up. Also, regardless type, a skill learn from level up will cost Bonus Point. And here was the answer for Taker, he probably had Normal or Limit skill but unable to learn it. When it unlock from level up he already got his DC so he can't spare Bonus Point to learn them.

Where the heck did Bonus Points come from? Sorry to hit the brakes, but with BPs, Limit, and a whole other bunch of terms you're confusing me. I know you're referring from the novel illustrations but bear in mind the probability of inconsistent and inaccurate translations.

Originally Posted by Sunder the Gold

Tus, only the tentacles regenerated. It was an Enhanced Armament, and so its regeneration was just a self-repair function. It would not have helped Taker heal any other damage... otherwise, what did he need Lime Bell for?

That's what I meant too, but I slipped in the accuracy of the meaning; Regen would indeed only work on the tentacles, I meant.

Originally Posted by Sunder the Gold

I have a question:

Looking at the light novel illustrations, there are two pictures of the Infinity and the Destiny, with plaques.

The plaques both show the constellation of the Little (or Big?) Dipper, also known as Ursa Minor (or Major). Each plaque highlights a different star. The constellation is made up of seven stars, which is the exact number of Sacred Arcs.

Can anyone guess what significance the constellation has to the Seven Sacred Arcs, or offer any information on a possible meaning?

I reviewd V7 and searched Wikipedia and a couple other sites for the Big Dipper's stars; the only connection seems to be the consistent "Star" theme the author has been using in both SAO and AW, especially for high-level skills and equipment. Here in AW the allusion appears focused on Legion names and equipment, and...beyond that there's no apparent connection.

Originally Posted by Shiyumi

You have it backward.It was mean as a bonus for player: "Learning from battle will not cost you Bonus Point". To back up my statement, let introduce our guest <<Ash Roller>>. His Limit Skill "Vertical Climb" is the same type with Flight, and this how he learned it:

“I was super stumped on what to use the level up bonus on, it had special attack, movement speed up, and wall-climbing. Ah, I made the ultra ~ correct ~ choice ~”

Again, where did Bonus Points come from. There are skills that are automatically learnt upon levelling up, and that leaves a choice between moves or upgrades - that's probably what you mean. An example of the former might be something like "Revive By Compassion", a skill that has no use outside the UNF, and Wall Climb might be an example of the latter - albeit boosting the bike's capabilities to climb walls, not simply an extra move in itself.

Originally Posted by Sunder the Gold

That would violate the principle of "equal level, equal potential." There would be many Duel Avatars going around that were simply weaker than others, and many (especially Children with the benefit of Parent guidance) that were more powerful than others.

If this were true, then Kuroyukihime and Takumu would have been EXTREMELY insistent that Haruyuki attempt to discover anything and everything about Silver Crow before moving on to Level 2.

But no one ever mentions this as a method by which one avatar can be stronger than another, or as a trap to beware.

We seemed to have missed that Shiyumi assumes potential means the same thing everywhere. Just to distinguish for the benefit of doubt:

-There is Dusk Taker's potential, which lies in DC and possibly other theft-related moves. This potential also refers to power contained in an Armament, eg. Cyan Pile's Pile Driver has most of his combat potential.

-Then there is the sum potential of the avatar's combat ability, how well it can function as a whole when being proficiently controlled. This is what we're getting at when we say Taker breaks the rules; by stealing other armaments and Crow's wings, his summation potential is twice that of a normal avatar (Flight + Long-range firepower on him before his last fight). Hence, he could engineer his BP (Burst Point) farming plan to hunt Lotus from safety.

Originally Posted by Sunder the Gold

He didn't realize that he must have some other power because his brother/Parent didn't really teach him how avatar potential worked, and it was only after he bought DC that the Research Society found him. With a power like DC, it would have been easy for them to mistakenly conclude that there wasn't any other hidden depths to his avatar.

The interesting puzzle now becomes: What kind of Passive or Limit Ability could Dusk Taker possible have had, to use up so much of his avatar's potential in the way of Aviation and the Night Rocker?

What sort of power would make sense for an avatar which could gain a Special Move like Demonic Commandeer?

(Assuming that DC started out much more humbly. Dusk Taker didn't destroy his brother until he reached at least Level 4 and ambushed him in the Unlimited Neutral Field, which meant two other bonuses he could have -- and probably did -- sink into upgrading Demonic Commandeer. A Level 2-to-4 power.)

(Also assuming that he got DC as early as Level 2. Perhaps he got the whole power at Level 4, and gained multiple levels through sheer hardwork, while getting only Level 5 through blackmail? Or was he Level 4 when he met Haru, I forget.)

Other than the Faker theory in the Fanfiction thread, I don't know what else..

If I have this right: you're saying, it's like as if Crow chose Rapid Knuckle as his bonus instead, and poured in enough bonuses for it to become something much more powerful, is that what you're saying?

Because other than that, I don't think Dusk Taker was created other than the purpose of having an NTR antagonist to add to the mix, for it to be so flawed in conception and having glaring inconsistencies. At least Blood Leopard was somewhat logical (and backed up by the bull-headed Yellow Legionnaire in the anime).